Being Jewish always makes me feel a bit awkward at Christmas. I admit I love Christmas music and movies. I also have a conviction that it just isn't my holiday. Danny feels like Christmas isn't really a religious holiday but I have a hard time getting past the whole birth of Jesus thing. At the same time, most of the fun parts of Christmas like the trees and lights come from pagan roots and aren't even Christian. Several of the Christmas songs were written by Jews. The rest of the widely celebrated parts of the holiday are based on commercialism. The modern image of Santa comes from coca cola... Danny does have a point about it not being very religious but I still don't feel comfortable participating. I prefer the American Jewish Christmas traditions of Chinese food and a movie.
Normally I don't get actively involved in much Christmas stuff but my work had a big Christmas celebration this year. Teaching in public schools in the states usually this wasn't an issue. Celebrating Christmas in China has its own unique flavor. Leading up to the holidays the kids all decorated Christmas cookies at our birthday assembly and the whole school was garishly decorated. My bulletin boards were covered with Christmas posters. They decided Christmas needed a theme, it was cartoons and sports. Last year was magic and Harry Potter themed. A lot of the foreign staff were uncomfortable with the theme.
Most Chinese locals have no idea what Christmas means or what its roots are. I may not be Christian but growing up in the states I certainly learned a fair amount about it. The Chinese staff at my school planned a rather interesting Christmas event.
As we entered the school we found all sorts of fuzzy cartoon characters greeting us.
The day of the Christmas party started off with an opening ceremony. Like all assemblies, it felt like a cheesy variety show. It was presented to lots of school board members and other important people as the kids sat on the gym floor for two hours. The kids all wore ornate costumes that their parents purchased and danced or sang for us. What Christmas show is complete without Spiderman, Tigger, Mario brothers, Angry Birds and of course vampires?
The foreign teachers were also required to put on a show. I felt really uncomfortable being in a Christmas show but it was about as unchristmasy as you can get. We performed the story of the Grinch, it is a cartoon after all. We all got Christmas sweatshirts with snowflakes on them to wear.
After the opening ceremony there was a fair. Each classroom was a crazily decorated station that students and their parents were able to walk around and visit. Classrooms had different activities like picking up marbles with chopsticks or playing ping pong. The kids could win prizes. I think they had fun but it was the most unusual Christmas event I ever saw. We had one extra day off for Christmas and went to Beijing for the long weekend. Nobody mentioned Christmas the whole time we were there, although some of the stores had Christmas decorations. I can't wait to take down the decorations in my classroom. I'm a bit of a grinch.
That sounds like a very Halloweeny Christmas.
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